The relationship between bipolar disorder and cannabis use in daily life: an experience sampling study

Predicting quantity of cannabis smoked in daily life: An exploratory study using machine learning

BACKGROUND

Cannabis use is prevalent in the United States and is associated with a host of negative consequences. Importantly, a robust indicator of negative consequences is the amount of cannabis consumed.

METHODS

Data were obtained from fifty-two adult, regular cannabis flower users (3+ times per week) recruited from the community; participants completed multiple ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys each day for 14 days. In this exploratory study, we used various machine learning algorithms to build models to predict the amount of cannabis smoked since participants' last report including forty-three EMA measures of mood, impulsivity, pain, alcohol use, cigarette use, craving, cannabis potency, cannabis use motivation, subjective effects of cannabis, social context, and location in daily life.

RESULTS

Our best-fitting model (Gradient Boosted Trees; 71.15% accuracy, 72.46% precision) found that affects, subjective effects of cannabis, and cannabis use motives were among the best predictors of cannabis use amount in daily life. The social context of being with others, and particularly with a partner or friend, was moderately weighted in the final prediction model, but contextual items reflecting location were not strongly weighted in the final prediction model, the one exception being not at work.

CONCLUSIONS

Machine learning approaches can help identify additional environmental and psychological phenomena that may be clinically-relevant to cannabis use.

Perturbation of 3D nuclear architecture, epigenomic aging and dysregulation, and cannabinoid synaptopathy reconfigures conceptualization of cannabinoid pathophysiology: part 2-Metabolome, immunome, synaptome

The second part of this paper builds upon and expands the epigenomic-aging perspective presented in Part 1 to describe the metabolomic and immunomic bases of the epigenomic-aging changes and then considers in some detail the application of these insights to neurotoxicity, neuronal epigenotoxicity, and synaptopathy. Cannabinoids are well-known to have bidirectional immunomodulatory activities on numerous parts of the immune system. Immune perturbations are well-known to impact the aging process, the epigenome, and intermediate metabolism. Cannabinoids also impact metabolism via many pathways. Metabolism directly impacts immune, genetic, and epigenetic processes. Synaptic activity, synaptic pruning, and, thus, the sculpting of neural circuits are based upon metabolic, immune, and epigenomic networks at the synapse, around the synapse, and in the cell body. Many neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, and autistic spectrum disorder have been linked with cannabis. Therefore, it is important to consider these features and their complex interrelationships in reaching a comprehensive understanding of cannabinoid dependence. Together these findings indicate that cannabinoid perturbations of the immunome and metabolome are important to consider alongside the well-recognized genomic and epigenomic perturbations and it is important to understand their interdependence and interconnectedness in reaching a comprehensive appreciation of the true nature of cannabinoid pathophysiology. For these reasons, a comprehensive appreciation of cannabinoid pathophysiology necessitates a coordinated multiomics investigation of cannabinoid genome-epigenome-transcriptome-metabolome-immunome, chromatin conformation, and 3D nuclear architecture which therefore form the proper mechanistic underpinning for major new and concerning epidemiological findings relating to cannabis exposure.

Association of cannabis use with neurocognition in adolescents with bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND

Bipolar disorder (BD) and cannabis use are each associated with neurocognitive deficits in adolescents. However, little is known regarding the association of neurocognition with cannabis use among adolescents with BD. Therefore, we examined this topic in a sample of adolescents with BD and healthy control (HC) adolescents.

METHODS

Participants included 121 adolescents (n = 32 with BD and lifetime cannabis use (BDCB+), n = 31 with BD and no lifetime cannabis use (BDCB-), n = 58 HC with no lifetime cannabis use), aged 14-20 years. Five neurocognitive subtests of the computerized CANTAB battery were assessed. Groups were compared using an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) covarying for age, sex, and intelligence quotient.

RESULTS

The three groups differed significantly on tests of visuospatial working memory (F = 4.41, p = 0.014, η p 2 = 0 . 07 ) and sustained attention (F = 5.15, p = 0.007, η p 2 = 0 . 08 ). Post hoc analyses revealed working memory scores were significantly worse in BDCB+ versus HC (p = 0.04, d = 0.59), and sustained attention was significantly worse in BDCB- versus HC (p = 0.006, d = 0.70).

CONCLUSION

These preliminary findings suggest that cannabis use among adolescents with BD is associated with working memory deficits. Future studies in larger samples are warranted to evaluate causation versus predisposition to cannabis use, and to evaluate duration, quantity, and potency of cannabis on neurocognition among adolescents with BD.

Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) Task Force Report: A Systematic Review and Recommendations of Cannabis use in Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder

BACKGROUND

Given the increasing acceptability and legalization of cannabis in some jurisdictions, clinicians need to improve their understanding of the effect of cannabis use on mood disorders.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this task force report is to examine the association between cannabis use and incidence, presentation, course and treatment of bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, and the treatment of comorbid cannabis use disorder.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature review using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, searching PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to October 2020 focusing on cannabis use and bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder, and treatment of comorbid cannabis use disorder. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach was used to evaluate the quality of evidence and clinical considerations were integrated to generate Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments recommendations.

RESULTS

Of 12,691 publications, 56 met the criteria: 23 on bipolar disorder, 21 on major depressive disorder, 11 on both diagnoses and 1 on treatment of comorbid cannabis use disorder and major depressive disorder. Of 2,479,640 participants, 12,502 were comparison participants, 73,891 had bipolar disorder and 408,223 major depressive disorder without cannabis use. Of those with cannabis use, 2,761 had bipolar disorder and 5,044 major depressive disorder. The lifetime prevalence of cannabis use was 52%-71% and 6%-50% in bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, respectively. Cannabis use was associated with worsening course and symptoms of both mood disorders, with more consistent associations in bipolar disorder than major depressive disorder: increased severity of depressive, manic and psychotic symptoms in bipolar disorder and depressive symptoms in major depressive disorder. Cannabis use was associated with increased suicidality and decreased functioning in both bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Treatment of comorbid cannabis use disorder and major depressive disorder did not show significant results.

CONCLUSION

The data indicate that cannabis use is associated with worsened course and functioning of bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Future studies should include more accurate determinations of type, amount and frequency of cannabis use and select comparison groups which allow to control for underlying common factors.

Exploring associations between affect and marijuana use in everyday life via specification curve analysis

Although frequently hypothesized, the evidence for associations between affect and marijuana use in everyday life remains ambiguous. Inconsistent findings across existing work may be due, in part, to differences in study design and analytic decisions, such as study inclusion criteria, the operationalization of affect, or the timing of affect assessment. We used specification curves to assess the robustness of the evidence for affect predicting same-day marijuana use and marijuana use predicting next-day affect across several hundred models that varied in terms of decisions that reflect those typical in this literature (e.g., whether to average affect prior to marijuana use or select the affect report closest in time to marijuana use). We fitted these curves to data from two ecological momentary assessment studies of regular marijuana and/or alcohol using college students (N = 287). Results provided robust evidence that marijuana use was slightly less likely following experiences of negative affect and slightly more likely following positive affect. Specification curves suggested that differences in previous findings are most likely a function of the specific emotion items used to represent affect rather than differences in inclusion criteria, the temporal assessment and modeling of affect, or the covariates added to the model. There was little evidence for an association between marijuana use and next-day affect. Overall, our findings provide evidence against the predictions made by affect reinforcement models in college students and suggest that future research should model the associations of marijuana use with discrete emotional states rather than general negative and positive affect. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Avatar Intervention for Cannabis Use Disorder in Individuals with Severe Mental Disorders: A Pilot Study

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is a complex issue, even more so when it is comorbid with a severe mental disorder (SMD). Available interventions are at best slightly effective, and their effects are not maintained over time. Therefore, the integration of virtual reality (VR) may increase efficacy; however, it has not yet been investigated in the treatment of CUD. A novel approach, avatar intervention for CUD, uses existing therapeutic techniques from other recommended therapies (e.g., cognitive behavioral methods, motivational interviewing) and allows participants to practice them in real-time. During immersive sessions, participants are invited to interact with an avatar representing a significant person related to their drug use. This pilot clinical trial aimed to evaluate the short-term efficacity of avatar intervention for CUD on 19 participants with a dual diagnosis of SMD and CUD. Results showed a significant moderate reduction in the quantity of cannabis use (Cohen's d = 0.611, p = 0.004), which was confirmed via urinary quantification of cannabis use. Overall, this unique intervention shows promising results. Longer-term results, as well as comparison with classical interventions in a larger sample, are warranted through a future single-blind randomized controlled trial.

The association of CNR1 genetic variants with resting-state functional connectivity in youth bipolar disorder

Cannabinoid 1 receptors coded by the CNR1 gene are implicated in mood disorders and addiction. Given the prevalence and negative correlates of cannabis use in bipolar disorder (BD), we examined CNR1 polymorphism rs1324072 in relation to resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in youth BD. Participants included 124 youth, ages 13-20 years: 17 BD G-carriers, 48 BD non-carriers, 16 healthy controls (HC) G-carriers, and 43 HC non-carriers. rsFC was obtained using 3T-MRI. General linear models examined main effects of diagnosis, gene, and diagnosis-by-gene interaction, controlling for age, sex, and race. Regions-of-interests in seed-to-voxel analyses included: bilateral amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens (NAc), and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Main effects of diagnosis were observed for rsFC between the right amygdala seed and right occipital pole, and between the left NAc seed and left superior parietal lobe. Interaction analyses identified 6 significant clusters. G-allele was associated with negative connectivity in BD and positive connectivity in HC for: left amygdala seed with right intracalcarine cortex; right NAc seed with left inferior frontal gyrus; and right hippocampal seed with bilateral cuneal cortex (all p<0.001). G-allele was associated with positive connectivity in BD and negative connectivity in HC for: right hippocampal seed with left central opercular cortex (p = 0.001), and left NAc seed with left middle temporal cortex (p = 0.002). In conclusion, CNR1 rs1324072 was differentially associated with rsFC in youth with BD in regions relevant to reward and emotion. Future studies powered to integrate CNR1 alongside cannabis use are warranted to examine the inter-relationship between rs1324072 G-allele, cannabis use, and BD.

Association between affect and cannabis use varies by social context

BACKGROUND

Cannabis use is rising globally, underscoring the importance of understanding contextual factors related to cannabis use. Although much work has retrospectively examined cannabis use patterns and effects, fewer studies have evaluated cannabis use in natural environments.

METHODS

The present study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine the subjective experience of cannabis use (i.e., positive and negative affect) and how cannabis' mood effects are modified by the social context, defined as being alone or with others, in which use occurs. Associations between cannabis' mood effects and cannabis use disorder symptomatology were additionally examined. Participants (N = 200) completed baseline assessments and two 7-day waves of EMA data collection. Mixed-effects models examined between- and within-subject effects for positive and negative affect at cannabis use and nonuse times and interactions between cannabis use and social context.

RESULTS

Positive affect was elevated at cannabis use times, compared to nonuse times, regardless of social context. The relationship between cannabis use and negative affect was moderated by social context, such that negative affect was elevated at cannabis use times when participants were alone and reduced at cannabis use times when participants were with others. Higher levels of cannabis use disorder symptomatology and cannabis use frequency were both associated with lower negative affect at cannabis use times.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that elevated positive affect is consistent across cannabis use times regardless of social context, but negative affect may vary more by the presence of others.

Ecological Momentary Assessment of Cannabis Use and Affect Among Adolescents Following Psychiatric Discharge

OBJECTIVE

Affect regulation is central to multiple theoretical models that explain cannabis use (CU) behavior. However, much of the research has been conducted with adults, leaving unanswered questions about the nature of associations among adolescents, especially those with affective disorders. Using clinical interviews and ecological momentary assessment (EMA), we assessed rates of adolescent CU and momentary associations with affect following psychiatric discharge among youth hospitalized for suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

METHOD

Participants were 13- to 18-year-olds (N = 62; 64.5% female) recruited from an inpatient psychiatric hospital who reported having ever used cannabis. Participants completed clinical interviews during hospitalization. EMA was conducted for 21 days upon discharge.

RESULTS

Concurrent use of other drugs was associated with greater odds of CU (odds ratio = 27.63). Momentary CU was associated with higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of anger/irritability, but not with negative affect. The effect of momentary CU on positive affect was greater among youth with a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that adolescents may use cannabis to enhance positive emotion, especially those with PTSD/GAD. Results highlight the importance of tailored interventions that focus on providing alternative and adaptive methods to enhance positive affect.

Epigenomic and Other Evidence for Cannabis-Induced Aging Contextualized in a Synthetic Epidemiologic Overview of Cannabinoid-Related Teratogenesis and Cannabinoid-Related Carcinogenesis

BACKGROUND

Twelve separate streams of empirical data make a strong case for cannabis-induced accelerated aging including hormonal, mitochondriopathic, cardiovascular, hepatotoxic, immunological, genotoxic, epigenotoxic, disruption of chromosomal physiology, congenital anomalies, cancers including inheritable tumorigenesis, telomerase inhibition and elevated mortality.

METHODS

Results from a recently published longitudinal epigenomic screen were analyzed with regard to the results of recent large epidemiological studies of the causal impacts of cannabis. We also integrate theoretical syntheses with prior studies into these combined epigenomic and epidemiological results.

RESULTS

Cannabis dependence not only recapitulates many of the key features of aging, but is characterized by both age-defining and age-generating illnesses including immunomodulation, hepatic inflammation, many psychiatric syndromes with a neuroinflammatory basis, genotoxicity and epigenotoxicity. DNA breaks, chromosomal breakage-fusion-bridge morphologies and likely cycles, and altered intergenerational DNA methylation and disruption of both the histone and tubulin codes in the context of increased clinical congenital anomalies, cancers and heritable tumors imply widespread disruption of the genome and epigenome. Modern epigenomic clocks indicate that, in cannabis-dependent patients, cannabis advances cellular DNA methylation age by 25-30% at age 30 years. Data have implications not only for somatic but also stem cell and germ line tissues including post-fertilization zygotes. This effect is likely increases with the square of chronological age.

CONCLUSION

Recent epigenomic studies of cannabis exposure provide many explanations for the broad spectrum of cannabis-related teratogenicity and carcinogenicity and appear to account for many epidemiologically observed findings. Further research is indicated on the role of cannabinoids in the aging process both developmentally and longitudinally, from stem cell to germ cell to blastocystoids to embryoid bodies and beyond.

The experience of mood disorder and substance use: An integrative review

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: People with mood disorders often use substances. There are several clinician-driven hypotheses explaining the relationship. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: The paper draws together the existing research on the perceptions of those with lived experience of mood disorders on the reasons for using substances. The participants in the studies identified using substances to manage their mood when treatment to manage their mood was not effective or acceptable, and as an escape from trauma and hardship. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Mental health nurses need an understanding of why people with mood disorders may use substances and the impact of this on their treatment. Mental health nurses need to provide trauma-informed care that emphasizes harm reduction for those who have mood disorders and substance use. ABSTRACT: Introduction Substance use is highly prevalent among people with mood disorders. Effective treatment for these people requires a better understanding of the relationship between both mood and substance use from the perspectives of those with lived experience. Question What are the reasons those with lived experience of mood disorders give for substance use? Method An integrative review was conducted. The Joanna Briggs Institute suite of critical appraisal tools was used to evaluate the quality of individual studies. Data relevant to the review question were extracted, and the results were synthesized into themes. Results Eighteen papers met the eligibility criteria. Three themes were identified across the included studies: Managing my mood, More Effective than prescribed medication, and Escape from trauma and hardship. Discussion This integrative review identified that people with a mood disorder who use substances described choosing to take substances to manage their mood, as an alternative to prescribed medications, and to cope with trauma and social hardships. Implications for Practice Mental health nurses need to provide care that recognizes why people use substances. They need to understand these reasons to provide a harm reduction and trauma-informed model of care. Evidence-based non-pharmacological interventions for mood disorders need to be available as an alternative to medications or as a supplement.

A Web-Based Application for Personalized Ecological Momentary Assessment in Psychiatric Care: User-Centered Development of the PETRA Application

BACKGROUND

Smartphone self-monitoring of mood, symptoms, and contextual factors through ecological momentary assessment (EMA) provides insights into the daily lives of people undergoing psychiatric treatment. Therefore, EMA has the potential to improve their care. To integrate EMA into treatment, a clinical tool that helps clients and clinicians create personalized EMA diaries and interpret the gathered data is needed.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop a web-based application for personalized EMA in specialized psychiatric care in close collaboration with all stakeholders (ie, clients, clinicians, researchers, and software developers).

METHODS

The participants were 52 clients with mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders and 45 clinicians (psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses). We engaged them in interviews, focus groups, and usability sessions to determine the requirements for an EMA web application and repeatedly obtained feedback on iteratively improved high-fidelity EMA web application prototypes. We used human-centered design principles to determine important requirements for the web application and designed high-fidelity prototypes that were continuously re-evaluated and adapted.

RESULTS

The iterative development process resulted in Personalized Treatment by Real-time Assessment (PETRA), which is a scientifically grounded web application for the integration of personalized EMA in Dutch clinical care. PETRA includes a decision aid to support clients and clinicians with constructing personalized EMA diaries, an EMA diary item repository, an SMS text message-based diary delivery system, and a feedback module for visualizing the gathered EMA data. PETRA is integrated into electronic health record systems to ensure ease of use and sustainable integration in clinical care and adheres to privacy regulations.

CONCLUSIONS

PETRA was built to fulfill the needs of clients and clinicians for a user-friendly and personalized EMA tool embedded in routine psychiatric care. PETRA is unique in this codevelopment process, its extensive but user-friendly personalization options, its integration into electronic health record systems, its transdiagnostic focus, and its strong scientific foundation in the design of EMA diaries and feedback. The clinical effectiveness of integrating personalized diaries via PETRA into care requires further research. As such, PETRA paves the way for a systematic investigation of the utility of personalized EMA for routine mental health care.

Comorbidity and Coaggregation of Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder and Cannabis Use Disorder in a Controlled Family Study

IMPORTANCE

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is increasing in the US. Clarification of the potential mechanisms underlying the comorbidity between mood disorders and CUD may help prevent CUD.

OBJECTIVE

To examine co-occurrence and familial aggregation of CUD and mood disorder subtypes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

In this cross-sectional, community-based study in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, semistructured diagnostic interviews and family history reports assessed lifetime DSM-IV disorders in probands and relatives. Familial aggregation and coaggregation of CUD with mood disorders were estimated via mixed-effects models, adjusting for age, sex, recruitment source, and comorbid mood, anxiety, and other substance use disorders. A total of 586 adult probands (186 with bipolar disorder; 55 with CUD) and 698 first-degree relatives (91 with bipolar disorder; 68 with CUD) were recruited from a community screening of the greater Washington, DC, metropolitan area from May 2004 to August 2020. Inclusion criteria were ability to speak English, and availability and consent to contact at least 2 living first-degree relatives.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Lifetime CUD in first-degree relatives.

RESULTS

Of 586 probands, 395 (67.4%) were female; among 698 relatives, 437 (62.6%) were female. The mean (SD) age was 47.5 (15.2) years for probands and 49.6 (18.0) years for relatives. In the proband group, 82 participants (14.0%) self-identified as African American or Black, 467 (79.7%) as White, and 37 (6.3%) as American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, more than one race, or another race or ethnicity or declined to respond. In the relative group, 53 participants (7.6%) self-identified as African American or Black, 594 (85.1%) as White, and 51 (7.3%) as American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, more than one race, or another race or ethnicity or declined to respond. These groups were combined to protect privacy owing to small numbers. CUD in probands (55 [9.4%]) was associated with an increase in CUD in relatives (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.64; 95% CI, 1.20-5.79; P = .02). Bipolar disorder II (BP-II) in probands (72 [12.3%]) was also associated with increased risk of CUD in relatives (aOR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.06-6.23; P = .04). However, bipolar disorder I (114 [19.5%]) and major depressive disorder (192 [32.8%]) in probands were not significantly associated with CUD in relatives. Among relatives, CUD was associated with BP-II (aOR, 4.50; 95% CI, 1.72-11.77; P = .002), major depressive disorder (aOR, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.78-7.45; P < .001), and mean (SD) age (42.7 [12.8] years with CUD vs 50.3 [18.3] years without CUD; aOR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-1.00; P = .02). Familial coaggregation of BP-II with CUD was attenuated by the inclusion of comorbid anxiety disorders. Further, rates of CUD were highest in relatives with both a familial and individual history of BP-II (no familial or individual history of BP-II: 41 [7.2%]; familial history but no individual history of BP-II: 13 [19.1%]; individual history but no familial history of BP-II: 10 [22.2%]; familial and individual history of BP-II: 4 [28.6%]; Fisher exact test, P < .001). The onset of mood disorder subtypes preceded CUD in probands and relatives in most cases.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The findings confirmed a familial aggregation of CUD. The increase in risk of CUD among relatives of probands with BP-II suggests that CUD may share a common underlying diathesis with BP-II. Taken together with the temporal precedence of depression and mania with respect to CUD onset, these findings highlight a potential role for BP-II intervention as CUD prevention.

Associations between cannabis use, cannabis use disorder, and mood disorders: longitudinal, genetic, and neurocognitive evidence

RATIONALE

Cannabis use among people with mood disorders increased in recent years. While comorbidity between cannabis use, cannabis use disorder (CUD), and mood disorders is high, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to evaluate (1) the epidemiological evidence for an association between cannabis use, CUD, and mood disorders; (2) prospective longitudinal, genetic, and neurocognitive evidence of underlying mechanisms; and (3) prognosis and treatment options for individuals with CUD and mood disorders.

METHODS

Narrative review of existing literature is identified through PubMed searches, reviews, and meta-analyses. Evidence was reviewed separately for depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide.

RESULTS

Current evidence is limited and mixed but suggestive of a bidirectional relationship between cannabis use, CUD, and the onset of depression. The evidence more consistently points to cannabis use preceding onset of bipolar disorder. Shared neurocognitive mechanisms and underlying genetic and environmental risk factors appear to explain part of the association. However, cannabis use itself may also influence the development of mood disorders, while others may initiate cannabis use to self-medicate symptoms. Comorbid cannabis use and CUD are associated with worse prognosis for depression and bipolar disorder including increased suicidal behaviors. Evidence for targeted treatments is limited.

CONCLUSIONS

The current evidence base is limited by the lack of well-controlled prospective longitudinal studies and clinical studies including comorbid individuals. Future studies in humans examining the causal pathways and potential mechanisms of the association between cannabis use, CUD, and mood disorder comorbidity are crucial for optimizing harm reduction and treatment strategies.

Anticipating manic and depressive transitions in patients with bipolar disorder using early warning signals

Background

In bipolar disorder treatment, accurate episode prediction is paramount but remains difficult. A novel idiographic approach to prediction is to monitor generic early warning signals (EWS), which may manifest in symptom dynamics. EWS could thus form personalized alerts in clinical care. The present study investigated whether EWS can anticipate manic and depressive transitions in individual patients with bipolar disorder.

Methods

Twenty bipolar type I/II patients (with ≥ 2 episodes in the previous year) participated in ecological momentary assessment (EMA), completing five questionnaires a day for four months (Mean = 491 observations per person). Transitions were determined by weekly completed questionnaires on depressive (Quick Inventory for Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report) and manic (Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale) symptoms. EWS (rises in autocorrelation at lag-1 and standard deviation) were calculated in moving windows over 17 affective and symptomatic EMA states. Positive and negative predictive values were calculated to determine clinical utility.

Results

Eleven patients reported 1–2 transitions. The presence of EWS increased the probability of impending depressive and manic transitions from 32-36% to 46–48% (autocorrelation) and 29–41% (standard deviation). However, the absence of EWS could not be taken as a sign that no transition would occur in the near future. The momentary states that indicated nearby transitions most accurately (predictive values: 65–100%) were full of ideas, worry, and agitation. Large individual differences in the utility of EWS were found.

Conclusions

EWS show theoretical promise in anticipating manic and depressive transitions in bipolar disorder, but the level of false positives and negatives, as well as the heterogeneity within and between individuals and preprocessing methods currently limit clinical utility.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40345-022-00258-4.

Neurostructural Correlates of Cannabis Use in Adolescent Bipolar Disorder

BACKGROUND

Little is known regarding the association of cannabis use with brain structure in adolescents with bipolar disorder (BD). This subject is timely, given expanded availability of cannabis contemporaneously with increased social acceptance and diminished societal constraints to access. Therefore, we set out to examine this topic in a sample of adolescents with BD and healthy control (HC) adolescents.

METHODS

Participants included 144 adolescents (47 BD with cannabis use [BDCB+; including 13 with cannabis use disorder], 34 BD without cannabis use [BDCB-], 63 HC without cannabis use) ages 13-20 years. FreeSurfer-processed 3T MRI with T1-weighted contrast yielded measures of cortical thickness, surface area (SA), and volume. Region of interest (amygdala, hippocampus, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex) analyses and exploratory vertex-wise analysis were undertaken. A general linear model tested for between-group differences, accounting for age, sex, and intracranial volume.

RESULTS

Vertex-wise analysis revealed significant group effects in frontal and parietal regions. In post-hoc analyses, BDCB+ exhibited larger volume and SA in parietal regions, and smaller thickness in frontal regions, relative to HC and BDCB-. BDCB- had smaller volume, SA, and thickness in parietal and frontal regions relative to HC. There were no significant region of interest findings after correcting for multiple comparisons.

CONCLUSION

This study found that cannabis use is associated with differences in regional brain structure among adolescents with BD. Future prospective studies are necessary to determine the direction of the observed association and to assess for dose effects.

Recommendations for the use of long-term experience sampling in bipolar disorder care: a qualitative study of patient and clinician experiences

Background

Self-monitoring has been shown to improve the self-management and treatment of patients with bipolar disorder. However, current self-monitoring methods are limited to once-daily retrospectively assessed mood, which may not suit the rapid mood fluctuations in bipolar disorder. The experience sampling method (ESM), which assesses mood in real-time several times a day, may overcome these limitations. This study set out to assess the experiences of patients and clinicians with the addition of ESM monitoring, real-time alerts, and personalized feedback to clinical care. Participants were twenty patients with bipolar disorder type I/II and their clinicians. For four months, patients completed five ESM assessments per day on mood, symptoms, and activities. Weekly symptom questionnaires alerted patients and clinicians to potential episodes. After the monitoring, a personalized feedback report based on the patient’s data was discussed between patient and clinician. Three months later, patient and clinician were both interviewed.

Results

Thematic analysis of the transcripts resulted in four themes: perceived effects of the monitoring, alerts, and feedback, and recommendations for implementation of ESM. ESM was perceived as helping patients to cope better with their disorder by increasing awareness, offering new insights, and encouraging life style adjustments. ESM was further believed to facilitate communication between patient and clinician and to lead to new treatment directions. However, high assessment burden and pre-occupation with negative mood and having a disorder were also described. Patients and clinicians advocated for increased personalization and embedding of ESM in care.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that long-term ESM monitoring, alerts, and personalized feedback are perceived as beneficial to the treatment and self-management of patients with bipolar disorder. Future research should further test the clinical utility of ESM. Clinically relevant feedback and technology need to be developed to enable personalized integration of ESM in clinical care.

Bipolar disorder and the endocannabinoid system

OBJECTIVE

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a debilitating, lifelong neuropsychiatric illness characterised by unsteady mood states which vacillate from (hypo)mania to depression. Despite the availability of pharmaceutical agents which can be effective in ameliorating the acute affective symptoms and prevent episodic relapse, BD is inadequately treated in a subset of patients. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is known to exert neuromodulatory effects on other neurotransmitter systems critical in governing emotions. Several studies ranging from clinical to molecular, as well as anecdotal evidence, have placed a spotlight on the potential role of the ECS in the pathophysiology of BD. In this perspective, we present advantages and disadvantages of cannabis use in the management of illness course of BD and provide mechanistic insights into how this system might contribute to the pathophysiology of BD.

RESULTS

We highlight the putative role of selective cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) agonists in BD and briefly discuss findings which provide a rationale for targeting the ECS to assuage the symptoms of BD. Further, data encourage basic and clinical studies to determine how cannabis and cannabinoids (CBs) can affect mood and to investigate emerging CB-based options as probable treatment approaches.

CONCLUSION

The probable role of the ECS has been almost neglected in BD; however, from data available which suggest a role of ECS in mood control, it is justified to support conducting comprehensive studies to determine whether ECS manipulation could positively affect BD. Based on the limited available data, we suggest that activation of CB2 may stabilise mood in this disorder.

Moment-to-moment interaction between affectivity and coping behaviours in bipolar disorder and the role of cognitive appraisals

BACKGROUND

Individuals with bipolar disorder respond to affective symptoms with a range of coping behaviours, which may further maintain the symptoms.

AIMS

To examine moment-to-moment dynamics between affective states and coping behaviours, and to evaluate the role of cognitive appraisals of internal states as moderators.

METHOD

Forty-six individuals with bipolar disorder completed a clinical interview and an experience sampling assessment over 6 days. Time-lagged analyses were conducted by multilevel regression modelling.

RESULTS

A total of 1807 momentary entries were analysed. Negative affect predicted an increase in rumination at the subsequent time point (β = 0.21, s.e. = 0.08, P = 0.009, 95% CI 0.05-0.36), and vice versa (β = 0.03, s.e. = 0.01, P = 0.009, 95% CI 0.01-0.05). Positive affect predicted an increase in adaptive coping (β = 0.26, s.e. = 0.11, P = 0.018, 95% CI 0.04-0.47), and vice versa (β = 0.02, s.e. = 0.01, P = 0.019, 95% CI 0.00-0.03). Positive affect also predicted a decrease in rumination (β = -0.15, s.e. = 0.06, P = 0.014, 95% CI -0.26 to -0.03), and vice versa (β = -0.03, s.e. = 0.01, P = 0.016, 95% CI -0.06 to -0.01). Extreme cognitive appraisals predicted stronger associations between affective states and coping behaviours.

CONCLUSIONS

Feedback loops between affective states and coping behaviours were revealed in the daily life of individuals with bipolar disorder, which were moderated by extreme cognitive appraisals.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

None.

Affect and cannabis use in daily life: a review and recommendations for future research

BACKGROUND

Although cannabis is often used for the purposes of relieving negative affective states such as anxiety and depression, the associations between cannabis use and affect in daily life are unclear. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) has been used to study these associations in individuals' natural environments, providing more ecological validity, minimizing retrospective bias, and allowing for the analysis of within-individual processes over time. This review focuses on studies that utilized EMA to examine daily-life associations of cannabis use and negative and positive affective states.

METHODS

We review the findings of the 19 articles that met inclusion criteria, including clinical and community samples.

RESULTS

Results provide equivocal evidence regarding relations between cannabis use and affect for community samples. Findings are mixed for clinical samples as well, but more consistent patterns emerge for general negative affect (NA) and anger/hostility at the momentary level; cannabis use may be more likely following increased NA and lead to decreases in NA and anger/hostility in psychiatric populations.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings support a negative reinforcement hypothesis for clinical samples in terms of general NA and anger/hostility. However, discrepancies among studies point to a need to thoroughly characterize samples, consider motives for and expectancies of use, improve quantification of cannabis use, and consider co-use with other substances. Additional design recommendations are also offered for future studies.

Reducing relapse and suicide in bipolar disorder: practical clinical approaches to identifying risk, reducing harm and engaging service users in planning and delivery of care – the PARADES (Psychoeducation, Anxiety, Relapse, Advance Directive Evaluation and Suicidality) programme

Background

Bipolar disorder (BD) costs £5.2B annually, largely as a result of incomplete recovery after inadequate treatment.

Objectives

A programme of linked studies to reduce relapse and suicide in BD.

Design

There were five workstreams (WSs): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT) of group psychoeducation (PEd) versus group peer support (PS) in the maintenance of BD (WS1); development and feasibility RCTs of integrated psychological therapy for anxiety in bipolar disorder (AIBD) and integrated for problematic alcohol use in BD (WS2 and WS3); survey and qualitative investigations of suicide and self-harm in BD (WS4); and survey and qualitative investigation of service users’ (SUs) and psychiatrists’ experience of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), with reference to advance planning (WS5).

Setting

Participants were from England; recruitment into RCTs was limited to certain sites [East Midlands and North West (WS1); North West (WS2 and WS3)].

Participants

Aged ≥ 18 years. In WS1–3, participants had their diagnosis of BD confirmed by the Structural Clinical Interview for theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Interventions

In WS1, group PEd/PS; in WS3 and WS4, individual psychological therapy for comorbid anxiety and alcohol use, respectively.

Main outcome measures

In WS1, time to relapse of bipolar episode; in WS2 and WS3, feasibility and acceptability of interventions; in WS4, prevalence and determinants of suicide and self-harm; and in WS5, professional training and support of advance planning in MCA, and SU awareness and implementation.

Results

Group PEd and PS could be routinely delivered in the NHS. The estimated median time to first bipolar relapse was 67.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) 37.3 to 90.9] weeks in PEd, compared with 48.0 (95% CI 30.6 to 65.9) weeks in PS. The adjusted hazard ratio was 0.83 (95% CI 0.62 to 1.11; likelihood ratio testp = 0.217). The interaction between the number of previous bipolar episodes (1–7 and 8–19, relative to 20+) and treatment arm was significant (χ2 = 6.80, degrees of freedom = 2;p = 0.034): PEd with one to seven episodes showed the greatest delay in time to episode. A primary economic analysis indicates that PEd is not cost-effective compared with PS. A sensitivity analysis suggests potential cost-effectiveness if decision-makers accept a cost of £37,500 per quality-adjusted life-year. AIBD and motivational interviewing (MI) cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) trials were feasible and acceptable in achieving recruitment and retention targets (AIBD:n = 72, 72% retention to follow-up; MI-CBT:n = 44, 75% retention) and in-depth qualitative interviews. There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes for either trial overall. The factors associated with risk of suicide and self-harm (longer duration of illness, large number of periods of inpatient care, and problems establishing diagnosis) could inform improved clinical care and specific interventions. Qualitative interviews suggested that suicide risk had been underestimated, that care needs to be more collaborative and that people need fast access to good-quality care. Despite SUs supporting advance planning and psychiatrists being trained in MCA, the use of MCA planning provisions was low, with confusion over informal and legally binding plans.

Limitations

Inferences for routine clinical practice from WS1 were limited by the absence of a ‘treatment as usual’ group.

Conclusion

The programme has contributed significantly to understanding how to improve outcomes in BD. Group PEd is being implemented in the NHS influenced by SU support.

Future work

Future work is needed to evaluate optimal approaches to psychological treatment of comorbidity in BD. In addition, work in improved risk detection in relation to suicide and self-harm in clinical services and improved training in MCA are indicated.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN62761948, ISRCTN84288072 and ISRCTN14774583.

Funding

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme Grants for Applied Research programme and will be published in full inProgramme Grants for Applied Research; Vol. 6, No. 6. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Alcohol use disorders are associated with increased affective lability in bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND

Affective dysregulation is a core feature of bipolar disorder (BD), and inter-episodic affect lability is associated with more severe outcomes including comorbidity. Rates of daily tobacco smoking and substance use disorders in BD are high. Knowledge regarding relationships between affective lability and abuse of the most commonly used substances such as tobacco, alcohol and cannabis in BD is limited.

METHODS

We investigated whether dimensions of inter-episodic affective lability as measured with the Affective Lability Scale - short form (ALS-SF) were associated with lifetime daily tobacco use or alcohol (AUD) or cannabis use disorders (CUD) in a sample of 372 French and Norwegian patients with BD I and II.

RESULTS

ALS-SF total score and all sub-dimensions (anxiety-depression, depression-elation and anger) were significantly associated with AUD, while only the depression-elation sub-dimension was associated with CUD, after controlling for possible confounders such as gender, age at interview, age at illness onset, BD subtype, duration of illness and other substance use disorders. Daily tobacco smoking was not significantly associated with affective lability.

LIMITATIONS

Data for recent substance use or psychiatric comorbidities such as personality or hyperkinetic disorders were not available, and could have mediated the relationships.

CONCLUSION

AUD is associated with several dimensions of inter-episodic affective lability in BD, while CUD is associated with increased oscillations between depression and elation only. Increased affective lability may partly explain the increased illness severity of patients with BD and AUD or CUD. Affective lability should be treated in order to prevent these comorbidities.

Cannabis and development of dual diagnoses: A literature review

BACKGROUND

The use of cannabis has garnered more attention recently with ongoing efforts at marijuana legalization. The consequences of cannabis use are not clearly understood and remain a concern.

OBJECTIVES

To review the acute and persistent effects of cannabis use and associations with psychiatric disorders.

METHODS

Using Pubmed and PsychInfo, we conducted a narrative review of the literature on cannabis and psychiatric comorbidity using the keywords cannab*, marijuana, schizo*, psychosis, mood, depression, mania, bipolar, and anxiety.

RESULTS

There is substantial evidence of cannabis use leading to other illicit drug use and of an association between cannabis use and psychosis. A few reports suggest an association with bipolar disorder while the association with depression and anxiety disorders is mixed.

CONCLUSIONS

Whenever an association is observed between cannabis use and psychiatric disorders, the relationship is generally an adverse one. Age at the time of cannabis use appears to be an important factor with stronger associations observed between adolescent onset cannabis use and later onset of psychiatric disorders. Additional studies taking into account potential confounds (such as withdrawal symptoms, periods of abstinence, and other substance use) and moderators (such as age of initiation of cannabis use, the amount and frequency of drug use, prior history of childhood maltreatment, and gender) are needed to better understand the psychiatric consequences of cannabis use.

Joint Effects: A Pilot Investigation of the Impact of Bipolar Disorder and Marijuana Use on Cognitive Function and Mood

Marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance in those diagnosed with bipolar I disorder. However, there is conflicting evidence as to whether marijuana may alleviate or exacerbate mood symptomatology. As bipolar disorder and marijuana use are individually associated with cognitive impairment, it also remains unclear whether there is an additive effect on cognition when bipolar patients use marijuana. The current study aimed to determine the impact of marijuana on mood in bipolar patients and to examine whether marijuana confers an additional negative impact on cognitive function. Twelve patients with bipolar disorder who smoke marijuana (MJBP), 18 bipolar patients who do not smoke (BP), 23 marijuana smokers without other Axis 1 pathology (MJ), and 21 healthy controls (HC) completed a neuropsychological battery. Further, using ecological momentary assessment, participants rated their mood three times daily as well as after each instance of marijuana use over a four-week period. Results revealed that although the MJ, BP, and MJBP groups each exhibited some degree of cognitive impairment relative to HCs, no significant differences between the BP and MJBP groups were apparent, providing no evidence of an additive negative impact of BPD and MJ use on cognition. Additionally, ecological momentary assessment analyses indicated alleviation of mood symptoms in the MJBP group after marijuana use; MJBP participants experienced a substantial decrease in a composite measure of mood symptoms. Findings suggest that for some bipolar patients, marijuana may result in partial alleviation of clinical symptoms. Moreover, this improvement is not at the expense of additional cognitive impairment.

Cannabis use disorder is associated with greater illness severity in tobacco smoking patients with bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE

Cannabis use disorders (CUD) may influence the course of bipolar disorder (BD), but key confounding factors such as tobacco smoking have not been adequately addressed. This study examined whether CUD was associated with a more severe illness course in tobacco smoking BD patients.

METHODS

A sample of French and Norwegian tobacco smoking patients with BD I and II (N=642) was investigated. DSM-IV diagnoses and other characteristics were obtained through personal interviews using structured questionnaires. The association between CUD and illness course was assessed in regression analyses.

RESULTS

In bivariate analyses, CUD was associated with earlier BD onset, higher frequency of manic (in BD I) and depressive episodes and hospitalizations per illness year, and a higher occurrence of psychotic episodes. After controlling for potential confounders, the relationships with earlier BD onset (B=-5.60 95% CI=-7.65 to -3.64), and increased rates of manic episodes (OR=1.93, 95% CI: 1.15 to 3.23) and hospitalizations (OR=2.93, 95% CI: 1.85 to 4.64) remained statistically significant.

LIMITATIONS

Despite the multivariate approach, differences between the two samples may lead to spurious findings related to hidden confounders. Substance use and mood episode information was collected retrospectively, and potential birth cohort effects could not be controlled for.

CONCLUSION

Studies have found associations between tobacco smoking and poorer outcomes in BD. In this study on tobacco smoking BD patients we report an association between CUD and illness severity, suggesting that CUD exacerbates the disease evolution independently of tobacco smoking. Specific treatment and prevention programs addressing CUD in BD patients are warranted.